NOYE’S FLUDDE
Opus 59
(Noah’s Flood)
The Chester Miracle Play
Set to Music by Benjamin
Britten
Adapted and with notes by Dr Joanna Crooks. ©2016
1
AUDIENCE STANDS TO SING WHILE NOAH WALKS UP THROUGH THE AUDIENCE TO THE STAGE
Lord Jesus, think on me, And purge away my sin
From earthborn passions set me free, And make me pure within.
Lord Jesus, think on me, Nor let me go astray,
Through darkness and perplexity, Point thou the heavenly way.
Lord Jesus think on me, when flows the tempest high,
When on doth rush the enemy, O Saviour be thou nigh.
Lord Jesus think on me, That when the flood is past,
I may eternal brightness see, And share thy joy at last.
VOICE OF GOD
I, God that all this world hath wrought
I see my people in deed and thought
Are set full foul in sin.
Man that I made I will destroy
For on earth they me deny,
The folk that are there on.
Destroyed all the world shall be,
Save thou, thy wife and children three,
And their wives also with thee
shall saved be for thy sake.
Therefore NOYE my servant free
That righteous man art, as I see,
A ship(pe) now thou shall make thee
Of trees dry and light.
Three hundred cubits it shall be long,
And fifty broad, to make it strong,
Of height fifty, thus measure it about,
NOYE
One window work through my wit,
A cubit of length and breadth make it,
Upon the side a door shall sit
For to come in and out.
O Lord, I thank thee, loud and still,
That to me art in such will,
And spares me and my house to spill.
Have done, you men and women all,
Hye you, lest this water fall
(go quickly)
To work this ship, chamber and hall, (to make this ship)
As God hath bidden us do.
2
SEM COMES RUNNING IN WITH HIS AXE
SEM
Father, I am all readye bowne, (ready to start)
An axe I have, and by my crowne (head)
As sharp as any in all this town,
For to go there to. (get started)
HAM COMES RUNNING IN WITH HIS AXE
HAM
I have a hatchet wonder keen, (very sharp)
To bite well as may be seen, (cut well)
A better hatchet as I wene (think),
Is not in all this town.
JAFFETT COMES IN WITH A HAMMER
JAFFETT
And I can make right well a pin, (nail)
And with this hammer knock it in,
Go we to work without more din
And I am ready bowne, am readye bowne (ready to start)
MRS SEM COMES IN WITH A HACKING-STOCK (block for chopping or cutting wood)
MRS SEM
Here is a good hacking stock,
On this you may hew and knock;
None shall be idle in this flock
For now may no man fail.
MRS HAM & MRS JAFFETT COME RUNNING IN
MRS HAM
And I will go gather slyche (tar)
The ship for to caulk and pyche (to make it watertight)
Anoynte it must be each stick (every stick must be tarred)
Borde and tree and pin. (rudder and deck and mast)
MRS JAFFETT
And I will go gather chippies here (sticks)
To make a fire for you in fere (at once)
And for todighte your dinner (to make your dinner)
Against your coming in. (before you come home)
MRS NOYE & THE GOSSIPS COME IN
MRS NOYE
And we shall bring timber too
For women nothing else shall do,
Women be weak to undergo
Any great travail. (hard work)
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MRS NOYE & the GOSSIPS
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! ............................
NOYE
Good wife, let be all this beare (noise),
That thou makest in this place here,
For all they wene (think) thou art master,
And so thou art, by Saint John.
MRS NOYE AND THE GOSSIPS SETTLE AT THE SIDE OF THE STAGE DRINKING AND MOCKING
NOYE
Now in the name of God I will begin
To make the ship(pe) here that we shall in,
That we may be ready for to swim
At the coming of the flood.
These borders here now I pin together
To bear us safe from the weather
That we may row both hither and thither
And safe be from the flood.
Of this tree I will make the mast,
Tied with cables (ropes) that will last,
With a sail yard for every blast,
NOYE and NOYE ‘s CHILDREN
And iche (every) thing in their kind. (and everything as it should be)
With top castill and boespritte (top sail and bow sail)
With cords and ropes
I hold all meete (ready) to sail forth at the next sleete (first movement of water)
When the ship is at an end. (ready)
Now in the name of God, we make ending, (finish the job)
To make the shippe here that we shall in,
That we may be ready for to swim
at the coming of the flood.
THE CHILDREN PUT FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE ARK
NOYE
Wife, in this vessel we shall be kept,
My children and thou, I would in ye leaped.
MRS NOYE
In faith, Noye, I had as life thou slept, (I would just as soon you had been sleeping)
For all thy frynishe fare, (your nice words)
I will not do after thy rede. (will not do what you say)
NOYE
Good wife, do now as I thee bid.
MRS NOYE
By Christ, not or I see more need, see more need, see more need
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NOYE
Lord that women be crabbed aye (cranky always)
MRS NOYE
Though thou stand all day and stare, day and stare, day and stare
NOYE
And none are meek, I dare well say,
MRS NOYE
Noye, I had as life thou slepte (Noah, you might as well have been asleep ie you are wasting your time)
NOYE
This is well seen by me today In witness of you each one
MRS NOYE
Faith, for all they frynishe frynishe fare
I will not after thy rede. (No matter why you say, I will not do what you tell me)
THE VOICE OF GOD
Noye, Noye, take thou thy company
And in the ship hie that you be
And beasts and fowls with thee thou take
He and she, mate to mate,
For it is to m liking
Mankind for to annoy.
Forty days and forty nights
Rain shall fall for their unrights (wickedness)
And that I have made through my mights (and what I have created with my power)
Now think I to destroy.
THE FIRST WAVES APPEAR
NOYE
Have done, you men and women all , (Finish up)
Hie you lest this water fall, (hurry in case the water falls)
That each beast were in stalle
and into the shippe brought.
The flood is nigh (near) you may well see,
Therefore tarry you nought, tarry you nought. (waste no time)
TWO BY TWO AS ANNOUNCED BY THE CHILDREN AND HERALDED BY BUGLE CALLS, THE ANIMALS
MARCH THROUGH THE AUDIENCE AND INTO THE ARK
SEM
Sir! Sir! Sir! Here are lions, leopards in, horses, mares, oxen, swine
Goat and calf, sheep and kine, here coming thou may see.
ANIMALS GROUP ONE
Kyrie, kyrie, kyrie eleison. (repeat ad lib)
5
HAM
Camels, asses, man may find, buck and doe, hart and hind
Beasts of all manner kind, here be as thinketh me.
ANIMALS GROUP TWO
Kyrie, kyrie, kyrie eleison. (repeat ad lib)
JAFFETT
See here dogs, bitches too, otter, fox, polecats also
Hares hopping gaily go, Bringing colly for to eat (cabbage).
ANIMALS GROUP THREE
Kyrie, kyrie, kyrie eleison. (repeat ad lib)
MRS SEM
And here are bears, wolves sette (a pair)
Apes and monkeys, marmoset,
weasels, squirrels and ferret,
eating their meat (food)
ANIMALS GROUP FOUR
Kyrie, kyrie, kyrie eleison. (repeat ad lib)
MRS HAM & MRS JAFFETT
And here are beastes in this house
Here cats make carouse (noise)
Here a rat and here a mouse
That standeth nigh together (near)
eating their meat (food)
ANIMALS GROUP FIVE (squeaking)
Kyrie, kyrie, kyrie eleison. (repeat ad lib)
SEM & MRS SEM
And here are fowls less and more
Herons, owls, bittern, jackdaw,
swans, peacocks, them before,
Ready for this weather.
HAM & MRS HAM
And here are cocks, kites, crows, rooks, ravens, many rows
Cuckoos, curlews, all one knows,
Each one in his kind
HAM & MRS HAM
And here are doves, ducks, drakes, redshanks running theough the lakes,
and each fowl that noises makes,
In this shippe men may find.
BIRDS GROUPS SIX & SEVEN
Kyrie, kyrie, kyrie eleison. (repeat ad lib)
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ALL ANIMALS AND BIRDS, NOYE & CHILDREN
Kyrie, kyrie, kyrie eleison. (repeat ad lib)
NOYE
Wife come in, why standesst thou there?
Wife, come in, come in,
For fear lest that you drown.
MRS NOYE
Yea sir, set up your sail,
Row forth with evil haile (haste)
For without fail
I will not out of this town.
NOYE
Sem, son, lo – thy mother is wrawe (angry)
Forsooth, such another one I do not know.
SEM
Father, I shall fetch her in, I trowe (am sure)
without any fail.
SEM GOES TO WHERE MRS NOYE IS SITTING WITH HER GOSSIPS
SEM
Mother, my father after thee send,
Bids thee into yonder shippe wende, (bids you go into the ship)
Look up and see the wind,
For we be ready to sail.
MRS NOYE
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! ............
I will not come there in today.
Go again to him, I say, go again, go again. Go!
But I have my gossips every one,
They shall not drown, by Saint John,
And I may save their life.
GOSSIPS
The flood comes fleeting in full fast, full fast,
On every side that spreads full far, full far,
For fear of drowing I am aghast,
Good gossips, let us draw near, draw near.
NOYE
Come in, wife, in twenty devils’ way (name)
Or else stand there without. (outside)
GOSSIPS & MRS NOYE
Let us drink or we depart, depart
For oft times we have done so, done so,
For at a draught thou drinks a quart
And so will I do, so will I or I go. (I will drink a litre before I go)
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JAFFETT
Father, father, shall we all fetch her in?
NOYE
Yea, sons, in Christ’s blessing and mine,
I would you hied you betyme, (hurry to do it)
For of this flood I am in doubt. (afraid)
GOSSIPS & MRS NOYE
Here is a potill of Malmsine good and strong (jug)
It will rejoice both heart and tongue
Though Noye think us never so long (though Noye thinks we take a long time to come)
Here drink we alike, here will drill drink alike
will drink, drink, drink, drink, drink.
SEM, HAM & JAFFETT
Mother, we pray you all together,
For we are here, your own children,
Come into the shippe for fear of the weather,
For his love that you bought. (in the name of God)
MRS NOYE
That will not I! That will not I! that will not I!
For all your call.
But I have my gossips all
SEM, HAM & JAFFETT
In faith, mother, yet you shall,
Whether you will or not
MRS NOYE
But I have my gossips all, my gossips, my gossips, my gossips.
They loven me full well by Christ.
GOSSIPS RUN AWAY SCREAMING
But thou let them into thy chest (Ark), thy chest,
Or else row now where you like,
Else row now where you like.
THE SONS DRAG THEIR MOTHER INTO THE ARK
And get thee a new wife!
NOYE
Welcome, wife, into this boat!
Ha! Ha! Goodness, this is hot!
SHE GIVES HIM A GOOD SLAP IN THE FACE!
It is good for to be still.
STORM
Ha! Children, me thinks my boat removes,
Over the land the water spreads,
God do as he will,
O Great God, that art so good,
That works not thy will is wood, (A person who does not do your will is deaf)
Now all this world is on a flood,
As I see well in sight.
This window will I shut anon, (now)
And into my chamber I will go,
Till this water, so great one,
Be slacked through thy might.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING – GREAT WAVES
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NOYE, MRS NOYE, CHILDREN AND ANIMALS/BIRDS
Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm doth bind the restless wave,
Who bidst the mighty ocean deep, Its own appointed limits keep,
O hear us when we cry to thee, For those in peril on the sea.
Joined by THE AUDIENCE
O Saviour whose almighty word, the winds and waves submissive heard,
Who walkedst on the foaming deep, And calm amidst its rage didst sleep,
O hear us when we cry to thee, For those in peril on the sea.
O Sacred Spirit, who didst brood, Upon the chaos dark and rude,
Who badst its angry tumult cease, And gavest light and life and peace,
O hear us when we cry to thee, For those in period on the sea.
THE STORM SUBSIDES AND ALL THE CREATURES IN THE ARK GO TO SLEEP
NOYE LOOKS OUT
NOYE
Now forty days are fully gone
Send a raven I will anon (right away)
If ought were earth or tree or stone (if there is any dry earth ...)
Be drye in any place.
And if this fowl come not again
It is a sign, sooth to say, (truth)
THE RAVEN HOPS OUT OF THE ARK
That dry it is on hill or plain
THE RAVEN FLIES OFF INTO THE DISTANCE
Ah Lorde, wherever this raven be,
somewhere is fry, well I see.
But yet a dove, a dove, by my lewte (faith)
A dove after I will send.
THE DOVE HOPS OUT OF THE ARK AND DISAPPEARS
Thou wilt turn again to me
For of all fowl that may fly
Thou art most meek and hend. (obedient and gentle)
THE DOVE RETURNS WITH THE OLIVE BRANCH IN HIS BEAK
THE DOVE ALIGHTS ON THE ARK AND NESTLES UP TO NOYE
Oh Lord, blessed be thou aye (for ever)
That me has comfort thus today.
My sweet dove to me brought has
A branch of olive from some place.
It is a sign of peace!
Ah Lord, honoured must thou be,
All earth dry is now, I see.
But yet till thou command me,
Hence will I not hie. (I will not leave the ark)
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THE VOICE OF GOD
Noye, Noye, take thy wife anon (at once)
And they all with thee,
Beasts and all that can fly
Out anon they shall hye (Out at once they shall go)
On earth to grow and multiply
I will that so it be ....
ANIMALS AND BIRDS
THE ANIMALS AND BIRDS START TO LEAVE THE ARK
Alleluia, alleluia
NOYE, MRS NOYE & CHILDREN
MAKE A TABLEAU WITH THE ANIMALS
Lord we thank thee through thy might
Thy bidding shall be done in height (swiftly)
And as fast, as fast, as fast we may dight, (as fast as we are able)
We will do thee honour.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
THE VOICE OF GOD
Noye, Noye, heare I behette thee a heste (make you a promise)
That man, woman, fowl nor beast
With water, while this world shall last
I will no more spill.
My bow (rainbow) between you and me
In the firmament (sky) shall be
By very token that you shall see
That such vengeance shall cease.
Where clouds in the welkin (sky) be,
AN ENORMOUS RAINBOW SPREADS OVER THE STAGE
That ilke bow shall be seen, (that very rainbow)
In token that my wrath and teene (anger)
Shall never thus wrocken be. (I shall never take vengeance like this again)
The string is turned towards you
and towards me is bent the bow
that such weather shall never show, (such weather shall never happen again)
and this behighte (promise) I thee.
NOYE, MRS NOYE & CHILDREN
The spacious firmament on high,
with all the blue ethereal sky
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great original proclaim.
THE SUN APPEARS
Th’unwearied sun from day to day,
Doth his Creator’s power display,
And publishes to every land
The works of an almighty hand.
THE MOON APPEARS
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ALL THE ANIMALS AND BIRDS JOIN IN
Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the listening earth,
Repeats the story of her birth.
THE STARS APPEAR
Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn
confirm the tidings as they roll,
and spread the truth from pole to pole.
THE AUDIENCE JOINS IN
What though in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball,
What though nor real voice nor sound
Amid their radiant orbs be found,
In reason’s ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing as they shine,
The hand that made us is divine. Amen.
ALL THE ANIMALS HAVE LEFT. ONLY NOYE IS LEFT ALONE. MRS NOYE WAITS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
STEPS.
THE VOICE OF GOD
My blessing, Noye, I give thee here,
To thee, Noye, my servant dear,
For vengeance shall no more appear,
And now, farewell, my darling dear.
NOYE COMES DOWN THE STEPS, HE JOINS MRS NOYE AND THEY WALK SOLEMNLY DOWN THE
CENTRE OF THE AISLE TO THE EXIT DURING THE FINAL 13 BARS OF THE SCORE
WITH BUGLES AND BELLS.
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